BAY MINETTE, Alabama -- Some residents in Bay Minette will be voting in different municipal districts after the City Council’s approval of a redistricting map that will be in effect for the 2012 municipal elections.

While most boundary lines will remain in place, city officials said some voters were moved to accommodate the shift in population, align census blocks and to account for newly annexed areas.

With the change, all of the Canterbury subdivision will be part of the new District 1 instead of split between the current Districts 1 and 2, now served by Council members Danleigh Corbett and Johnny Biggs, respectively.

City Attorney Scotty Lewis said two of the "biggest changes/tweaks" came about because of public input.

"The southern end of districts 4 and 5 were reconfigured so that highway (Ala.) 59 is the dividing line. This change involved a fairly large geographic area that was for the most part uninhabited," Lewis said. "Second, several census blocks along Hall Avenue were reconfigured so that Hall Avenue would be the boundary between Districts 2 and 3 from 4th Street to 12th Street."

The new map, designed by the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, gives each of the five districts about 1,600 residents each. The plan will now be submitted for final approval by the Department of Justice, which will take about 60 to 90 days, Lewis said.

In other business Monday, the council approved a contract with Hutchinson, Moore & Rauch LLC to draw up proposals for the redesign of Hand Avenue and a new commercial truck route that will by-pass Courthouse Square.

Jamie Tillery, mayor of Bay Minette

"We have requested refurbishing and enhancement of (existing) sidewalks and inclusion of cycle paths along Hand Avenue be researched and included as an option for the proposal — exciting," Mayor Jamie Tillery said.

Robbie Strom, representing the engineering firm, said the most pressing job is to design options for Hand Avenue that will be more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly. Those options will be forwarded to the Alabama Department of Transportation for review.

ALDOT is planning to resurface Hand Avenue next year, and Strom said now is the time for the city to decide if any changes are needed for the current four-lane highway.

The contract with HMR is not to exceed $18,600, and the firm will present its design proposals to the council for approval in coming months.

"These engineering proposals will work closely with public safety entities, emergency services, and schools along with ideas promoted by organizations such as Smart Coast," Tillery said. "The four steps include proposals and renderings for traffic flow, pedestrian and cycling enhancements for the Courthouse Square and Hand Avenue."